Illegal chemicals dumped into sewer systems; Investigation underway

An investigation is underway in the Upstate to find out who may be dumping illegal chemicals into area sewer systems.

State and federal authorities are looking into who dumped hazardous materials into sewer systems treated by Spartanburg Sanitary Sewer District, Renewable Water Resources and the Town of Lyman.

Through routine sampling, the Department of Health and Environmental Control found traces of polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs in area sewer systems.

The water companies affected are working with DHEC to get rid of the harmful products.

So far, there does not seem to be a health threat to the community.

Ray Orvin, executive director of Renewable Water Resources in Greenville said, “We have increased monitoring at potential dumping sites and believe that we must take every precaution to prevent this illegal act from happening again.”

All this brings back bad memories for Larry Madden.

“It's just something that shouldn't have happened,” said Madden.

Madden has lived near Town Creek in Pickens since the 1970s when the community found out some disturbing information.

The Sangamo-Weston plant had dumped more than 400,000 pounds of PCBs in the creek between 1955 and 1977.

“My kids, most of them have caught their first fish out of Town Creek and they didn't get to eat it. We told them you have to catch it and toss it back in, and they didn't understand why,” said Madden.

PCBs are toxic, man-made compounds that were banned by Congress in 1979 because of evidence that they build up in the environment and can cause health issues.

“A lot of people were getting sick, and a lot of neighbors seem to think all of this sickness here is from that problem,” said Madden.

Madden says he's not sure he or his neighbors will ever feel completely comfortable in Pickens' streams and rivers again.

Anyone with information on the illegal dumping investigation is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 23-CRIME.

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